法国梧桐树转世
The reincarnated French Parasol Tree
原创：斧子
中译英：斧子的二当家
审校、朗诵：Michael
我一九八四年参加工作走进衡阳城时，满眼满大街都是法国梧桐树。走在行人道上，根本就看不到阳光。夏天细雨霏霏，身上根本就沾不到雨水。马路也全部被树荫覆盖，凉爽宜 人。
When I came to Hengyang City in 1984 for work, the streets were full of French Parasol Trees. When walking on the sidewalk, you couldn't even see the sun through them. Whenever there was a drizzle in the summer, there wouldn’t be any rain falling on pedestrians. The roads were all covered with shadow, so cool and pleasant.
法国梧桐树干高大，枝叶茂盛，生长迅速，易成活，耐修剪，所以广泛栽植作行道绿化树种，是世界著名的优良庭荫树和行道树，有“行道树之王”之称。在园林中孤植于草坪或 旷地，列植于甬道两旁， 尤为雄伟壮观。法国梧桐树木质紧密，纹理细腻，可制作乐器和家具。树皮纤维可造纸，制绳索。但根系分布较浅，缺点就是刮台风时易受害而倒斜。 让人惊喜的是，对二氧化硫、氯气等有毒气体有较强的抗性，抗空气污染能力较强，叶片具吸收有毒气体和滞积灰尘的作用。
The French Parasol Tree has a tall trunk, majestic branches and leafs, grows fast, it’s easy to survive and resistant to pruning. It is therefore widely planted as a Street Green Tree and it’s a world-famous shade tree named "King of the Street Trees ". The French Parasol Tree is particularly magnificent when planted alone in the garden on the lawn or on both sides of the tunnel. The French Parasol Tree wood has a compact structure and a fine texture, which can be used to make musical instruments and furniture. Its bark fiber can be used to make papers and ropes. But the root system distribution is relatively shallow, therefore it becomes vulnerable and easy to fall when a typhoon comes. Surprisingly, it has a strong resistance to toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide and chlorine, and it’s resistant to air pollution.
法国梧桐树嫩叶煎汤代茶喝可治高血压；树皮煎浓汁温洗可治脱肛；梧桐花鲜品捣烂涂患处可治头癣秃疮 (瘌痢头)、外伤、火伤、丹毒；梧桐子含咖啡因、树胶可补气养阴，明目平肝，乌须发；梧桐子烧存性，研细末，蜂蜜调涂可治口、舌炎。
The French Parasol Tree leafs decoction tea can be used to treat hypertension. The warm juice boiled from the bark decoction can be used to cure proctoptosis. Parasol flowers can be crushed and applied to affected parts to treat scalp favus, trauma, fire injury and erysipelas. French Parasol Tree seed contains caffeine, its gum can restore the Qi and Yin, improve sight, liver and make the hair more black. The French Parasol Tree seed properties allow it to be grinded onto a powder, mixed with honey and put into the mouth afterwards to cure inflammation.
1986年1月，衡阳市第八届人大常委会第十四次会议审议通过市人民政府意见，决定山茶花、月季花为衡阳市花、樟树为衡阳市树。衡阳市花山茶花、月季花当选的理由是， 生长适应衡阳市的生长环境，在衡阳市有悠久的栽种历史，且观赏价值和经济价值较高，深受广大市民喜爱，必将成为衡阳市美好的象征，对激励人们热爱衡阳，建设衡阳，推动 全市绿化美化，促进社会主义物质文明建设和精神文明建设具有积极的意义。樟树为何成为市树？当局一直没有解释理由和公开原因。
In January 1986, the 14th session of the Eighth National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee of Hengyang City approved the opinions of the Municipal People's Government and approved Camellia and Chinese Rose for Hengyang City Flower and Camphor Tree for Hengyang City Tree. Hengyang Camellia and Chinese Rose were chosen based on that they are suitable for Hengyang environment and have a long history of cultivation in Hengyang. They are also highly appreciated for their ornamental and economic value and loved by the public. It would become a symbol of Hengyang beauty and have a positive significance in inspiring people to love Hengyang, to build it, promote greening and beautification of the city, promote the construction of socialist material and spiritual civilization. Why did Camphor Tree become the City Tree? The authorities have not explained their reasons and have not made them known to the public.
其实，樟树也是湖南省长沙市的市树；亦是浙江省杭州市、宁波市、金华市；江苏省无锡市；江西省南昌市、九江市、上饶市 、景德镇市、樟树市；安徽省马鞍山市、安庆市；湖北省鄂州市；四川省绵阳市、宜宾市、自贡市；贵州省贵阳市等城市的市树；还是西南大学校树。
In fact, Camphor Tree is also a City Tree of Changsha in Hunan Province. It is also a City Tree in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Jinhua in Zhejiang Province. It is also a City Tree in Wuxi in Jiangsu Province. It is also a City Tree in Nanchang, Jiujiang, Shangrao, Jingdezhen, and Changshu in Jiangxi Province. Also a City Tree in Ma'anshan, Anqing in Anhui Province, Ezhou in Hubei Province, Mianyang, Yibin, Zigong in Sichuan Province and Guiyang in Guizhou Province. It is also the School Tree of the Southwest University.
樟树，属常绿大乔木，高达10米—55米左右，直径可达3米，树冠广卵形。树冠广展，枝叶茂密，气势雄伟，四季常青，是我国南方城市优良的绿化树、行道树及庭荫树，是 我国亚热带常绿阔叶林的重要树种。樟树全体均有樟脑香气，可提制樟脑和提取樟油。木材坚硬美观，宜制家具、箱子。
The Camphor Tree, an evergreen tree, has a height from 10 meters up to 55 meters or so and a diameter of up to 3 meters with a wide, oval crown. The tree crown spreads widely, the branches and leafs are majestic and it is green throughout the whole year. Camphor Tree is an excellent Green Tree, Street Tree and Shade Tree in southern cities of China and it is an important tree species in subtropical, evergreen, broad-leaved forest in China. All Camphor Trees have the camphor aroma and they can be used to extract camphor and camphor oil. Camphor Tree Wood is hard and beautiful and it’s suitable for making furniture and boxes.
樟树在深厚肥沃湿润的酸性或中性黄壤、红壤中生长良好，不耐干旱瘠薄和盐碱土，萌芽力强，耐修剪。抗二氧化硫、臭氧、烟尘污染能力强，能吸收多种有毒气体。
Camphor Tree grows well in deep, fertile and acidous or neutral yellow and red soils. It is not resistant to drought, barren soil and saline soil, it has a strong sprouting power and it’s resistant to pruning. It has a strong resistance to sulfur dioxide, ozone and smoke pollution and also can absorb various toxic gases.
到底是法国梧桐树好，还是樟树好？
So which one is better? The French Parasol Tree or the Camphor Tree?
我是一个很无聊的人，喜欢思考一些与吃喝玩乐无关的事情，喜欢钻研与自己本人没有任何利益冲突的现象，喜欢没事找事。所以，我很无聊很寂寞很空虚很痛苦的时候，就一个 人老在琢磨，为什么衡阳人选择了樟树，放弃了法国梧桐树？就算法国梧桐树是世界上鼎鼎有名的“行道树之王”又如何？
I am a very boring person. I like to think about things that have nothing to do with eating, drinking and playing. I study any phenomenon that has no conflict of interests with myself and I like to go looking for trouble. So, when I was bored, lonely and empty, I was wondering why the Hengyang people chose Camphor Tree and gave up the French Parasol Tree? Especially that French Parasol Tree is the world-famous "King of the Street Trees".
后来，我终于找到了理由：樟树一年四季长青，始终都是一个成功男人的样子，风度翩翩，从不难堪。而法国梧桐树，四季分明，特别是秋天，落叶缤纷，太让人伤感，且使环卫 工人们劳动强度增加，扫不尽的落叶，烦人啊！而冬天就更让人绝望，光秃秃的枝丫，实在难看，毫无风度，就像一个失败的男人，衣不遮体，特别不讨人喜欢。
Later, I finally found the reason: Camphor Tree is evergreen throughout the whole year, always looks like a successful man, elegant and never embarrassed. And the French Parasol Tree changes during the seasons, especially in autumn, when the leafs are fallen. That is also sad for the public workers who have to sweep the fallen leafs endlessly, so annoying! But the winter is even more desperate. The bare branches look really ugly and ungraceful, just like a poor man with no clothes, really unattractive.
我估计，我就是棵法国梧桐树转世的。
I guess I am the reincarnation of a French Parasol Tree.
斧子，出版著作有：散文诗集《等你归来》，湖南文艺出版社；散文诗集《欠债校长》，香港商务印书馆；中短篇小说集《月下天鹅与祝塘的绝版爱情》，团结出版社；中短篇小说集《隐身保镖》，团结出版社；中短篇小说集《财哥的第一次婚姻》，中国文联出版社......
Axe, published: Prose poetry collection "Waiting for you" , Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House; Prose poetry collection "Principal in debt", The Hong Kong commercial press (HKPC); A short and medium story collection, "The extinct edition of love between Swan under the Moon and Zhu Tang", United publishing house; A short and medium story collection, "Invisible bodyguard", United publishing house; A short and medium story collection, "The first marriage of brother Qian," and published by the China Federation of Literary Unions ...
Hi there! I’m Michael. Big fan of China, its culture and cuisine. Made a choice in 2017 to pack my things and come here from Europe. I love traveling, jogging and listening to music.